Method, System, and Storage Medium for Resolving Transport Errors Relating to Automated Material Handling System Transactions

1. A method for resolving a transport error over a communications network, said error relating to automated material handling system transactions in a manufacturing environment, the manufacturing environment implementing a manufacturing execution system, the method comprising: receiving an event report from a material control system, the event report indicating a transfer job ID and a carrier job ID of a carrier determined to have failed a load operation at a reserved destination; parsing said event report into an email notification, the notification including a description of the transport error and at least three of: a lot identifier, a source equipment identifier, a destination equipment identifier, a source stocker identifier, a source bay identifier, a source OHV/OHT identifier, a carrier identifier, and a port identifier; transmitting said notification to a collaborative workspace used by designated system support personnel assigned to resolve the transport error; using the notification and the collaborative workspace to resolve the transport error before any production equipment in the manufacturing environment becomes idle; in response to receiving notice from the system support personnel that the transport error has been resolved, automatically clearing load port data of production equipment assigned to said automated material handling system transactions; and identifying and resetting reserved manufacturing execution system components.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notice from the system support personnel is executed via at least one of: return email; and providing resolution information in the collaborative workspace.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying a reservation status for the carrier, comprising: querying a database in the manufacturing execution system for a status of the reserved destination; clearing the reservation for the reserved destination if the reservation status indicates the reservation has not been cleared; deleting pending transfer job ID and control job ID; and verifying successful completion of the resetting reserved manufacturing execution system components before resuming manufacturing operations.

4. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for resolving a transport error over a communications network, said error relating to automated material handling system transactions in a manufacturing environment, the manufacturing environment implementing a manufacturing execution system, the storage medium including instructions for causing a server to implement: receiving an event report from a material control system, the event report indicating a transfer job ID and a carrier job ID of a carrier determined to have failed a load operation at a reserved destination; parsing said event report into an email notification, the notification including a description of the transport error and at least three of: a lot identifier, a source equipment identifier, a destination equipment identifier, a source stocker identifier, a source bay identifier, a source OHV/OHT identifier, a carrier identifier, and a port identifier; transmitting said notification to a collaborative workspace used by designated system support personnel assigned to resolve the transport error; using the notification and the collaborative workspace to resolve the transport error before any production equipment in the manufacturing environment becomes idle; in response to receiving notice from the system support personnel that the transport error has been resolved, automatically clearing load port data of production equipment assigned to said automated material handling system transactions; and identifying and resetting reserved manufacturing execution system components.

5. The storage medium of claim 4 , wherein the notice from the system support personnel is executed via at least one of: return email; and providing resolution information in the collaborative workspace.

6. The storage medium of claim 4 , further comprising instructions for causing said server to implement: verifying a reservation status for the carrier, comprising: querying a database in the manufacturing execution system for a status of the reserved destination; clearing the reservation for the reserved destination if the reservation status indicates the reservation has not been cleared; deleting pending transfer job ID and control job ID; and verifying successful completion of the resetting reserved manufacturing execution system components before resuming manufacturing operations.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing event reports, notifications, and resolution information in a data repository for analysis and auditing.

8. The storage medium of claim 4 , further comprising instructions for causing said server to implement: storing event reports, notifications, and resolution information in a data repository for analysis and auditing.

9. A system for resolving a transport error relating to transactions for an automated material handling system in a manufacturing environment, the system comprising: a host system in communication with a client system and production equipment over a communications network, the host system executing: material control system software generating an event report for a transport error, the event report indicating a transfer job ID and a carrier job ID of a carrier determined to have failed a load operation at a reserved destination; manufacturing execution system software receiving the event report; communications software; and an integrated transport facilitation software facilitating communication between the manufacturing execution system software and the material control system software, the integrated transport facilitation software performing: parsing said event report into an email notification, the notification including a description of the transport error and at least three of: a lot identifier, a source equipment identifier, a destination equipment identifier, a source stocker identifier, a source bay identifier, a source OHV/OHT identifier, a carrier identifier, and a port identifier; transmitting said notification to a collaborative workspace used by designated system support personnel assigned to resolve the transport error; using the notification and the collaborative workspace to resolve the transport error before any production equipment in the manufacturing environment becomes idle; in response to receiving notice from the system support personnel that the transport error has been resolved, automatically clearing load port data of production equipment assigned to said transactions; and identifying and resetting reserved manufacturing execution system components.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the notice from the system support personnel is executed via at least one of: return email; and providing resolution information in the collaborative workspace.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the integrated transport facilitation software further performs verifying a reservation status for the carrier, comprising: querying a database in the manufacturing execution system for a status of the reserved destination; clearing the reservation for the reserved destination if the reservation status indicates the reservation has not been cleared; deleting pending transfer job ID and control job ID; and verifying successful completion of the resetting reserved manufacturing execution system components before resuming manufacturing operations.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the integrated transport facilitation software further performs storing event reports, notifications, and resolution information in a data repository for analysis and auditing.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein said automated material handling system comprises: intrabay transport equipment in communication with an intrabay transport system controller; interbay transport equipment in communication with an interbay transport system controller; and stocker equipment in communication with a stocker system controller; wherein each of said intrabay transport equipment and said interbay transport equipment comprises at least one of: an overhead transport vehicle; an automatic guided vehicle; a rail guided vehicle; and an overhead hoist transport vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein resolution of the transport error by the system support personnel includes at least one of: removing an obstacle blocking delivery of the carrier; and troubleshooting an electrical or radio frequency communications problem.